Lustburg, as always, was a prosperous place where citizens could walk at their own pace without feeling oppressed. The healthcare, security, and numerous small things that contributed to the quality of life for the people living in the capital were so good that even commoners could live somewhat leisurely lives, as long as they weren't too foolish and made the necessary effort.
However, it came as no shock that the more someone had, the more they wanted. It was human nature to never be satisfied. This was why everyone strived to climb higher. Therefore, when Sol announced the recruitment for people to participate in the war, instead of facing an unwilling mob, the administration center of Lustburg was inundated with a veritable tsunami of people wishing to be recruited.
Despite any initial doubts, the doubts had mostly vanished, replaced by pure admiration and determination. Their Prince and Future King had blessed someone who was once a slave, or rather, his fiancée. The shock of this was undeniable.
It must be said that in the thousand-year history of Lustburg, such an event had never occurred. In fact, throughout the entire history of the Kingdom, although the Blessed had sometimes mixed their bloodlines with foreign races, there had never been a case of two Blessed individuals marrying. This was simply unprecedented, and the ones who brought about this miracle were their rulers.
As if that were not enough, all the citizens of Lustburg recognized Setsuna. After all, they had witnessed her fight against Sol in the Coliseum a few months ago. At that time, she had been the Gladiator King. She had not been a Blessed then, but now, just as the war was about to begin, she had become one? Even those with the least faith in their bloodlines would acknowledge that this was a divine message, a trial for both the current King and the new Princess of Wratharis, and the winner would either keep or take the throne.
On the day Sol made his announcement, more than 10,000 people registered their names. Many were mercenaries or adventurers who had caught the scent of victory and decided to join the side they believed would most likely win, expecting greater benefits. There were even more villagers with little to no training who dreamed of achieving great feats in battle and becoming rich and renowned throughout the land. A few dreamy teenagers filled with patriotism wished for nothing more than to fight and die for their Kingdom. And, of course, there were some ill-intentioned individuals, whether spies from another kingdom or spies from Wratharis.
Given that the best men represented the second-largest demographic in Lustburg, and Lustburg had a very mixed-race army, it was quite difficult to distinguish between those who were genuinely allies or those who had come for their own interests and those who wished to do harm. At least, this would have been the case.
"Were all the recording devices planted?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. They were installed inside the Mana calculating device used by the adventurer guild. For all those passing the test, they are only measuring their mana."
"Good. I believe I don't need to tell you not to startle them. Simply observe and separate the spies."
Surrounded by his war council, Sol was giving one order after another. The alliance with the witches was already bearing fruit even before he had visited them. The device they were discussing was created by a witch and had the power to measure goodwill or the lack thereof. It was a rather useful device and the first gift Ambrosia had sent him, mentioning how the witch council wished to somehow improve their relationship before the actual meeting.
It was amusing. The mighty women who had initially demanded unreasonable gains were now wagging their tails like starved dogs waiting for a bone. But Sol did not belittle or insult them because
he knew just how much his creation meant to them.
While the war council was in progress, the Dukes and Duchesses couldn't help but cast sidelong glances at the women around Sol. They could sense the fluctuations of energy from the Princess and knew that she was now on par with a Duke, but none of them were truly surprised by this. Reaching the Duke level was a lifetime achievement for others, but for members of the royal family, it was merely a formality. The fact that she was stronger than them didn't come as a surprise either.
What truly surprised them were the two blonde-haired, blue-eyed women sitting next to Sol. The first one was a young wolf woman whom they had known for quite some time and whose identity they were aware of. In fact, the entire secret plan involving the Church of Wratharis had been based on the assumption that Setsuna would become a Blessed. However, seeing it with their own eyes brought a different kind of shock.
Apart from this, while Setsuna's transformation was shocking but expected, the presence of the second blonde-haired woman was mind-blowing for most of them.
"Um... Your Majesty. Is she...?"
In the end, Tyr couldn't help but ask quietly.
"Hmm? Ah, indeed, I forgot to introduce you all."
Pointing his finger at the cheek of the voluptuous woman next to him, Sol introduced her calmly as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
"Meet Pandora Invidia, Queen of Succubi and the Demon Kingdom."
"Ah..."
Tyr, upon receiving this answer, looked at the short distance between Sol and Pandora, as well as the way she clearly yielded to him. One didn't need to be a genius to understand that their relationship was anything but ordinary.
Perhaps the most shocked of all was Arachne. From her perspective, her friend had been teasing and attempting to manipulate the prince just a few weeks ago, and now she seemed completely tamed.
'What in the nine hells happened?'
And so, the meeting continued with the Dukes looking at Sol in awe. However, he could only smile wryly, suspecting that this awe had nothing to do with his kingly aura.
